-- Jun 12, 1860
[Apostle Wilford Woodruff Journal] 12 A plesant morning. We left wellsville & rode over the mountain to Brigham City whare we arived at 3 oclock. Elder Snow made a short speech to the people. Said the people were Cooking for the Camp. They would give us the best they had. The Presidency with their families took there meals with Elder Snow & President Young spent the night with him. I spent the night with him.
President Young told the following drem which he had last night. He said I dreamed that I was in a room with Phineas Young and I saw a smooth faced young man setting beside him. I asked Phineas who it was. He replyed this is the saviour. (I did not believe it.) I smiled and said I wonder if he is the saviour. Phineas said he was. I then asked the person if he was the Savior. He said he was. I asked him if [so] how long have you been here? He said 14 days. I said have you a wife? He said yes this is my wife pointing to a woman dressed in black with a thick dark veil over her face. Said this is my wife. I thought it a funny idea. I felt that I wanted to prove him. Soon the woman vanished and he turned into a woman himself. Then I awoke and the thought Came to me that it was a representation of young Joseph & Emma Smith who had undertook to Esstablished a Church but it was upon fals ground & principles in oposition to the true Church of Christ. I was satisfied he was not the sa
viour.... (1)
-- Jan 30, 1861
Brigham Young's office journal records: "Pres. Joseph Young related a dream he had to his brother the President as follows. He saw the first Presidency dealing out land and sections of land to the Brethren. In his dream he frequently saw the President with a Compass and chain in his hand, and sometimes working with it. Br. Joseph remarked he was sure he had dreamed this dream as often as one hundred times. Some of the brethren remarked it looked as if our inheritances would be dealt out to us in Jackson County. The President also related a dream In his dream he saw the children singing and dancing unusually merry, and the people also dancing and merry making with extraordinary energy." (2)
-- Jan 31, 1861
[Apostle Wilford Woodruff Journal] 31 A pleasant morning. I attended the funeral of Charles Little, the son of Jesse C Little. President Young preached a short discourse on the occasion. No reporter. The following is a synopsis of what he said:
I reflected upon the subject of Coming to this funeral. I thought If I Come Brother Little would wish me to speak and I thought I should want much of the spirit of the Lord to assist me to overcome my weakness to which I am Subject on occasions like this. At times I Can overcome it.
The question has often been asked how is it with little Children? Will they grow or not after death? Joseph once said they would, & then He said they would not. He never had any revelation upon the subject, And I have no doctrin to give upon the subject. I Believe in the great variety in the vast Creations of God. I do not Believe that the Lord ever made two worlds alike or things alike in any world. I do not believe that the Human family have been alike in Stature in the various ages of this world.
The Lord has power to give a soul or spirit as much intelligence in a tabernacle 2 or 3 feet high as in a giant 8 or 10 feet high as we find Evidences that in some ages of this world men have lived to that hight. My doctrin or belief is that we shall find all Children & People at the resurrection as they lie down with the same Stature. That is the way I want to receive my Children. If I bury a Child that is two years old, I dont want him or her to Come to me in a tabernacle 80 or 100 years old or at any other age ownly the age it left me and that is the way I believe it will be. We shall see there spirits before we see there bodies. Whare shall we go to find them? In the spirit world. But whare is that? Right here on the Earth whare they lived & whare we live.
I have desired to see the spirit of a Friend & to Convers with it as I would with you, but I have never yet had this privilege. I want to know how they live in the spirit world what for a place they have as I would Come & look at Brother Litties House. But I believe all spirits live here after Death and no whare Els, at least those who have tabernacled in the flesh on the Earth, whether they be good or bad. Satan has no power over those who have overcome him in the flesh after they are dead but he has power over those who all their lives have been subject to him in the flesh.
I will now ask how does any one present know what I say? My words have a shape to them as much as this Chair and the shape of my words go to the drum of your Ear so that you get an understanding of what I say. Now in speaking in the Tabernacle if I turn to the north the shape of my words strike the drum of the Ear & they understand it perfectly. The words strike the wall break the shape to peaces & the sound strikes the Ear of those in the South as much as in the North but they do not understand what is said. Now if I had force of Lungs & power to throw the shape of my words to China they would understand what I say as well as you do in the further part of this room. They would hear it as well.
You know when you have a vision you Can see as well all over your Body as out of your Eye. When Joseph had a revelation he had the Eyes of the Lord. He saw as the Lord sees. How did I know what was going on in Washington? I have known what was going on there all the time And I know what is going on in other peoples Houses. I know it by the spirit of God. It is revealed to me.
Do spirits administer to us? They do but we do not know it. Charles here will administer to his mother but she will not know it. Those things are so ordered and governed that we may be tried and if Sister Little was to die & go whare her Children are in the spirit world She would do just so. She would not administered to her friends openly for she would see that it was for a wise purpose that there was a veil between the living & the dead that the living might be tryed and have a greater glory. The living Cannot see the departed spirits but the departed spirits Can see the living and administer to them while they know it not. We are all in the spirit world & in Eternity but we know it not & do not Comprehend it.
My wife awoke in the morning that Charles died & said to me I think Charles Little is dead for I have seen him to night with Joseph in a dream and if Brother & Sister Little Could see what I have they would not wish him back. He was vary happy with Joseph and Joseph Said he wanted him. He had a particular place for him, and He looked glorious.
Many questions have arisen in relation to the death of Children. Some have thought that it was ordained that Children should die. But this is not true doctrin. It is not ordained of God that Children Should die, but it is the will of God that all Children should live and grow up to manhood & fill up the measure of there days if they Could do it and overcome the evils they have to meet with in life. But they meet with so much of the Law of Death & so many Evils that many die in Childhood & at all ages.
You may ask why should not they have a Chance to prove themselves as well as we. As I said before there is a great variety. The Human family die at all ages & children that die will have a fulness of glory. They will be as happy as they are Capable of being. Will they have another probation or Chance of being tried as we are? I have many reflections upon this subject but it is a doctrin I shall say nothing about. We should be satisfyed with the principle that our Children will be restored to us again in their glorifyed bodies with the same Statue that they were taken from us, and they will administer to us though we know it not. It is hid from us for a wise purpose.... (1)
Footnotes:
1 - Wilford Woodruff's Journal: 1833-1898 Typescript, Volumes 1-9, Edited by Scott G. Kenney, Signature Books 1993
2 - This Day in Mormon History, http://www.advent-adam.com/jakestand.html
Mormon Timeline: Dreams
http://lds-church-history.blogspot.com/
